Mobile Watch: Rayman Fiesta Run

Did you enjoy Rayman Legends and/or Origins? Do you enjoy gaming on mobile devices, and do you have a couple of pounds to spare? If that’s the case, then stop reading right now, load up your app store of choice and buy Rayman Fiesta Run. It’s more Rayman, and a lot of it at that, at a cheap price.

There’s seventy levels here, in fact, and it’s one of the best platforming experiences you’ll find on mobile devices. You see, Rayman Fiesta Run – like Jungle Run before it – doesn’t have any of those nasty movement controls involving swiping or on-screen virtual joysticks. Rayman runs, while you tap the left of the screen to jump, or the right to attack your way through levels – there’s no endless running here, and each level is unique.

Fiesta Run features a number of improvements over its predecessor, none of which involve marketing Ford’s staple hatchback car, thankfully, and many of which borrow from console title Rayman Legends. You see, levels will at times even go from right to left now, and while Jungle Run’s environments were strictly 2D, blocks and sections of levels in Fiesta Run are more three dimensional. Rayman himself hasn’t had quite the same changes, remaining much the same as his Jungle Run sprite.

This means that you can use jump pads to go back and forth between platforming sections, and it does feel like a grander experience than even Rayman Origins. It still borrows heavily from that game in terms of the settings, but now your focus is on collecting Lums – there are 100 in every level, with each 20 Lums freeing a Teensy from their cage, which go on to literally pave the way to glory for Rayman and friends.

Yes, friends. There are more unlockable characters, including Globox, a Teensie, Rayman dressed as Globox and many more which we won’t divulge. Ubisoft are bringing Rayman back, and making these characters familiar and relatable, though not with a tie-in companion app – rest assured that Fiesta Run is its own separate and brilliant game.

The feeling when you manage to collect everything that the level has to offer – particularly if it’s on your first go – is much better than doing the same in the console equivalent, as you only really get one shot, otherwise you’ll have to restart right from the very beginning of the level. Thankfully, if you’re a bit stuck and just want to complete a level, you can use your already collected Lums to buy hearts, guides and even flying punches to help you get through with minimal fuss.

And there are boss levels too. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the game, these will usually consist of running away, but that’s fine, as it’s in-line with the rest of the title which gradually ramps up the mechanics, introducing hovering and even wall running as you progress through the levels.

Oh, and there are even more levels than you’ll see at first. Invasion stages, essentially harder versions of existing levels, make a return after their appearance in Legends. You’ll unlock these after collecting the crown (grabbing all 100 Lums) in a level, and it will offer four more Teensies and a further crown to help you progress even further.

It’s just a pure joy to play, and even better when you collect all Lums in a level without missing a single one. Since Rayman runs automatically, you’ll often have to restart the level if you’re a perfectionist and miss a Lum, which can be quite infuriating, but it’s all the more rewarding when you finally do manage to reach the finish line and get that crown.

So, Rayman Fiesta Run is a visual and auditory treat, with unrivalled mobile platforming gameplay. It offers hours of fun, and it’s definitely worth checking out if you like frantic 2D platformers.